Refrigerator



Jan. 19, 1937,. D. E. RUTISHAUSER 2,068,435

I REFRIGERATOR I Filed Feb.- 6, 1955 2 Sheets-Slaget 1 m I'ORMS'Y Jan. DJE. RUTISHAUSER 2,068,435

Q REFRIGERATOR Filed Feb. 6, 1933 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 I NVEN r01; i DONALD .Efil/ USHA 055/? Q I ORNEY Patented Jan. 19, 1937 U ITE STATES- PATENT OFFICE 2,068,435 nnraronnnron Donald E.- Rntishauser, St. Louis. M assignor to zero Plate Corporation, a corporation of Delaware . Application Februsr amsa'serl i No. 657,238

6 OIaima. (01. 62 116) My invention relates to refrigerators and more particularly to refrigerators of the type used in homes, restaurants or other places where the refrigerator not only preserves foodstuffs and other perishable articles but also provides ice, usually in the form of cubes, which is removed from the refrigerator to be used for any desired purpose.

Heretofore, in refrigerators of this type because a compact structure is necessary the cooling unit I has ,been placed in a storage compartment with v a resultant loss of storage space and a necessity for depending on conduction or convection currents of air for cooling. ;Also, in mechanical refrigerators wherein mediums other than ice are relied on for cooling, the same cooling unit that the unit was not so adapted and operated the freezing process would be dissipated over too long a period of time.

With these and other difliculties in mind the objects of my invention are to provide a refriger ator in which the entire capacity of the storage compartment may be used for containing perishable articles; to providea refrigerator in which the'ice making receptacles and their associated freezing means are separate from the storage compartment; and to provide a refrigerator wherein the freezing of liquid in the ice making receptacles is independent of the cooling of the storage compartmentofthe refrigerator.

One form of refrigerator embodying my inve'ntion is shown in the accompanying drawings wherein similar characters are used to designate similar parts: Fig. 1 is a frontview of the device; Fig. 2 is a section along the lines 22 in Fig. 1; and Fig. 3 is a view along the lines 3-3 in Fig. 2.

Referring to the figures in this embodiment of my invention the refrigerator comprises acabinet 'I having a storage compartment a2 to which access is had by opening the door 3 and in which perishable articles are placed on suitable shelves 4. Below the storage compartment 2 is a refrigerating compartment 5 and between the storage compartment and the refrigerating compartment is a'freezing chamber 8 which is removed and insulated from the compartments. Access to the I V refrigerating compartment and freezing chamber may be had by opening the door [8.

Positioned in one side wall of the storage compartment is an inlet duct 1 leading from the stor- Clarly in Fig. 3.

age compartment to the refrigerating compartment and positioned in the opposite side wall is an outlet duct 8 leading from the refrigerating compartment to the storage compartment. While the openings to and from the storage com- 5 partment into the ducts I and 8 may be arranged in any manner and be of any size, I prefer that only one inlet opening is used and that it is positioned near the upper end of the duct 1 and that a plurality of outlet openings to the storage com- 10 partment from the duct 8 be provided so that cold air enters the storage compartment at points in different horizontal planes, all'as shown particu- Positioned in the refrigerating compartment 5 v is a cooling coil 9 which may be of any shape, but

which preferably is positioned with the convolu tions thereof extending substantially transversely of the compartment. At the end of the refrigerating compartment nearest the inlet duct I is placed a fan III which maybe continuously operated to-create a circulation of air from the storage compartment downwardly through the inlet duct I, through the refrigerating compartment where the air is cooled'by the coil 9, and then through the outlet duct 8 back into the storage compartment. A plurality of fins ii may be placed in the convolutions of thecoil 9 to direct the flow of air therethrough.

The freezing chamber 6 in this embodiment includes a pair of coils l2 each arranged to form an inclosure-for an ice making receptacle l3 so that liquid in the receptacles will be frozen. when an active cooling agent. flows through the coils.

Each of the coils I2 is surrounded by any suitable insulation, indicated by the numeral, so that these coils are insulated from one another and from the storage and refrigerating compartments. I prefer that the coolingcoils 9 and I2 be arranged so that an active cooling agent supplied byany suitable source enters a coil I! through the flow pipe 15 and after flowing therethrough passes into the other freezing coil and then passes into the cooling coil 9 arranged in the.

refrigerating compartment, from where it flows outwardly through the return pipe It, all as indicated by the arrows in Fig. 3. If a flow is provided as thus described the cooling agent will reach the coils I! first and, therefore, these coils will be somewhat colderthan the coil 9 and freez- 5 ing of liquid in the ice making receptacles will be quickly accomplished. However, in some instances it may be desirable tohave the coils l2 supplied with a cooling agent independently of the can a. t v

tion shown and described herein are as follows: The fan l0, described above, creates a circulationof air from the storage compartment through the refrigerating compartment and the cooled air is then returned to the storage compartment. If inlet and outlet ducts l and 8, respectively, are arranged in opposite side walls of the refrigerator it readily will be seen that the circulation of air will be transversely of the storage compartment and parallel to the door 3 and a minimum amount of warm air will be drawn into the storage compartment when the door 3 is open. A drip pan i! may be provided below the coil 9 to collect any water or other condensation dripping therefrom and water so collected will flow from the refrigerator through the waste pipe I8. I prefer that the upper end of the waste pipe be arranged so that at all times there will be some liquid in the pan I1 toact as a humidifying agent for the air passing through the refrigerating compartment. While the air in the refrigerator thus is being cooled the. coils I! will be freezing liquid in the ice making receptacles l3 and such freezing will be independent of temperature conditions a refrigerating compartment having an inlet from and an outlet to said storage compartment, mechanical means for continuously circulating air through said inlet into and through said refrigerating compartment and through said outlet back into said storage compartment, and a freezing chamber removed from said refrigerating compartment and from the path of said circulation and including an ice making receptacle and means for freezing liquid contained therein, said freezing chamber being arranged in close adjacence to said refrigerating compartment, and means for circulating a refrigerant first through said freezing chamber and then through said refrigerating compartment.

2. In a refrigerator, a storage compartment, a refrigerating compartment having a cooling medium therein, and a freezing chamber removed and insulated from said compartments and including a cooling coil and an ice making receptacle associated therewith whereby liquid contained in said receptacle will be frozen, said refrigerating compartment being arranged below said freezing chamber and being defined between the latter and the walls of the refrigerator.

3. In a refrigerator, a storage compartment, a refrigerating compartment having a cooling coil therein and also having an inlet from and an outlet to said storage compartment, mechanical means for continuously circulating air through said inlet into and through said refrigerating compartment and through said outlet back into The operation of the new features of construcsaid storage compartment and a freezing chamber removed and insulated from said compartments and having a cooling coil and an ice makin receptacle associated therewith whereby liquid contained in said receptacle will be frozen, said refrigerating compartment cooling coil and said mechanical means being arranged below said freezing chamber, whereby the later cooperates with the walls of the refrigerator to form an enclosure for said last-named coil and said means. 4. In a refrigerator, a storage compartment, 9. refrigerating compartment having a cooling coil therein and also having an inlet from and an outand after flowing therethrough passes into said coil in said refrigerating compartment.

5. In a refrigerator, a storage compartment, a refrigerating compartment arranged below said storage compartment and having a cooling medium therein, an inlet duct leading downwardly from said storage compartment into said refrigerating compartment and an outlet duct leading upwardly from said refrigerating compartment into said storage compartment, mechanical means for continuously circulating air from said storage compartment through said inlet duct into and through said refrigerating compartment and through said outlet duct back into said storage compartment, and said outlet duct having a plurality of discharge openings whereby air cooled in said refrigerating compartment will enter said storage compartment at points in different horizontalplanes, and a freezing chamber arranged intermediate said storage and refrigerating compartments.

6. In a refrigerator, a storage compartment, 2. refrigerating compartment arranged below said storage compartment and having a cooling coil therein, an inlet duct leading downwardly from said storage compartment into said refrigerating compartment and an outlet duct leading upwardly from said refrigerating compartment to said storage compartment, mechanical means for continuously circulating air from said storage compartment through said inlet duct into and through said refrigerating compartment and through said outlet duct back into said storage compartment, a freezing chamber removed and insulated from said compartments and arranged therebetween and including an ice making receptacle and a cooling coil forming an inclosure therefor whereby liquid contained in said receptacle will be frozen, and said coils being arranged whereby a cooling agent is, supplied -to said coil in said freezing chamber and after flowing therethrough passes into said coil in said refrigerating chamber.

DONALD E. RUTISHAUSER. 

